Regional Waste Facility Opens To Serve Towns

October 18, 1997|By EILEEN DAVIS Courant Staff Writer

MANCHESTER — A new regional facility aims to simplify the way towns collect household hazardous waste from residents.

The Manchester facility, located at the town landfill off Olcott Street, is a cooperative effort of Glastonbury, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, Somers, Stafford and Vernon. It is the third regional facility in the state.

The facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 12 days a year between April and October, and four times a year at satellite sites in member towns. The next collection will be today, and another will be held Oct. 25 in Stafford.

Individual communities generally hold their own household hazardous waste collection days once or twice a year, something the facility's organizers say is time-consuming and costly. Some communities, such as Vernon, had never hosted collection days.

Michael Bisi, sanitation superintendent for the town of Glastonbury, said Thursday that the regional approach is much more practical and economical. ``I think it's really a good example of a regional way of handling a real big local problem,'' Bisi said.

It will cost $49,000 annually to operate the three-bay facility, which is explosion- and fire-proof. Each town pays a share based on town population; Manchester's share is $17,800. In addition, a town will be billed $32 every time a resident uses the facility. Proof of residency is required.

Manchester will receive $5,000 annually for serving as the host town.

``Given the fact that we're a lot more environmentally sensitive that we were 20 years ago . . . having this hazardous waste facility is a great benefit,'' general manager Richard Sartor said.

Clean Harbors Environmental Services of New Britain has the contract to sort, package, classify and haul the waste to a licensed disposal site.